Black Keys
by Paname
Summary: After a tiring day of destruction with Team Natsu, Lucy takes a walk and finds an ancient key. She makes a contract with it at a time of panic when Natsu betrays her. How will this key change her life, and how will she handle the changes in the guild she loves so much? This is a Laxus x Lucy fic.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Fairy Tail.

I do own the OC, and my idea of the other keys. I hope you enjoy the story.

Lucy sighed, she and the rest of Team Natsu had gotten home earlier that day. She was exhausted, they had blown up the town hall and she had to do the all the talking. The Mayor was furious, and he took it out on Lucy. On top of that, she had noticed that whenever Lisanna was near Natsu, he would act distantly towards her. Levy had noticed it first, and was the one to point it out. She sighed again, she needed to take a walk to clear her mind of the feeling of frustration. She slipped a pair of shoes on, and made her way out of her apartment and onto the walkway. She waved away the warnings that she could fall into the canal, and let her feet take her to her destination.

Lucy found herself at the edge of the Magnolia forest, looking down a small, winding dirt path. She felt the wind behind her, pushing her down the path. She let her feet lead the way, and before she knew it she was at a waterfall that had turned gold. The sun was setting and it would be night soon, however she wasn't afraid, she had her trusty keys attached to her waist. Her hand instinctively brushed against Loke's key. She felt it hum with his energy, as if the key were speaking to her directly. At this point, the sun had set and the moon was rising and the waterfall was a beautiful glassy blue. She looked into the pool below the water fall and saw a black item at the bottom of the pool.

"I wonder what that could be, it wasn't there when I looked last time" she said. Her curiosity was getting the better of her, and soon Lucy found herself looking around to see that she was alone. She carefully removed her clothes and dove into the clear pool. She swam to the bottom of the pool and felt her hands grasp around the object. It felt oddly familiar in her hand as she made her way back to the surface and gasped the fresh air that had been deprived of her in the water.

"Wha… what is this? Its a key?" She stammered out. It was completely black, and it was highly polished. It had 2 horns that came up from the base of the handle and curved up to the top, and set into the handle was a navy blue stone. The stone had an eye with a purple gem as the iris. As the clouds flitted over the moon, Lucy swore she almost saw the eye wink at her. She held the key in her hand and stared at it for what seemed like hours, wondering if the eye really had winked. Then, suddenly she put it in her satchel and clothed her self. She found herself back at her her apartment door. Blinking slowly, she realized how long she'd been out of her apartment. It was midnight already, and Lucy was even more tired that when she had left. She had more on her mind than she did when she left for her walk. Lucy slowly climbed into her bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Morning came all too soon for Lucy as the sunlight seemed to pierce through her eyelid directly into her eye. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes and climbed out of bed.

"Yes, today is a new day!" She exclaimed. Lucy turned the shower on and stepped into the warm stream. She loved showers, she could feel the warm water relaxing her stiff muscles. She quickly finished her shower and picked out some stylish clothes. She wanted to head to the guild, she was craving Mira's strawberry milkshake. Lucy pushed the door open to see Natsu sitting at a table eating breakfast. It was early for him to be up but she waved at him, he didn't seem to notice her, but she shrugged it off.

"Hey Mira!" Lucy said at the bar.

"Hey Lucy, will it be the usual today?" Said Mira.

"Yes please!" She said.

As Lucy sipped her milkshake, the guild started to fill up. Cana sauntered in and waved at her before plopping down on a table and starting to drink. Levy came in a few minutes later and started to talk to Lucy.

"Hey Lu-chan! Have you gotten a new chapter out yet?" she asked, a look of hope in her eyes.

Expecting this to be Levy's first question, Lucy grinned and handed Levy a copy of her most recent chapter.

"Levy, how is it that I know what you're going to ask me before you ask it?" Lucy giggled.

"Lu-chan! We are best friends, thats how."

Both girls were giggling happily as they continued to talk about Lucy's story. Gajeel entered and went to his corner with Levy. Lucy saw this and started teasing Levy about it.

"C'mon Levy! When is he going to ask you out?"

"Lucy! Not so loud, you know how he has super hearing" Levy said urgently, looking around to see if anyone else had heard.

"Levy, don't worry about it. I'm sure he likes you, why else would he sit in your corner with you?" Lucy emphasized the last word for impact and giggled.

At this point, the guild was almost complete filled up, Cana was still drinking and reading fortunes. Erza was sitting happily, eating cake, next to an oddly still Natsu. Happy was nowhere to be seen. Gray had just walked in and waved at Lucy. The Raijinshuu were sitting at their table chatting about who knows what. Lisanna sauntered in and sat a little too closely to Natsu for Lucy's liking.

Lucy turned to Levy and hissed "Do you see that? Look at her, if she gets any closer to him she'll be in his lap!"

Ever since Mira suggested that Natsu liked her, Lucy couldn't help herself. She fell for him, and she knew he was her first love. What she didn't know was how Natsu felt about her.

Levy sighed "Lu-chan, you can't let it get to you. She's been all over him since she came back. You don't know how Natsu feels"

Lucy sighed in response and eyed them suspiciously. She saw Lisanna lean in and whisper something in his ear. This made her heart shatter as she saw him lean in closer to her. Lucy saw the look in Lisanna's eyes and it made her very uneasy. However, Erza stood up and went to get more cake. Natsu also stood up at this point, and made his way over to Lucy. She saw him coming over and started to greet him.

"Oh hi Nats-"

*Slap*

Well, thats my first chapter. Please let me know what you think

- Paname


	2. Chapter 2

Quick author's note. I'd love to say thank you to those who reviewed It really means a lot to me, this is my first story. I love critique, but be nice about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, but the OC is mine.

Chapter 2:

Lucy flew backwards a few feet and landed on her hands and knees, completely winded. She felt tears sting the corner of her eyes as the entire guild hall went silent. All eyes were on her and Natsu. Lucy could feel them staring, and it was an extremely uncomfortable feeling. She wished that just for a moment they would look at something other than her.

"Natsu what was- " Lucy started, but was interrupted again by Natsu.

"You're weak and so are your spirits," he spat.

She looked at him, and saw some strange sort of disconnect in his eyes. A flicker of something, and Lucy hoped it was doubt or regret. The next second it was gone, and a horrified Lucy saw that Natsu had ignited his fists. This wasn't some prank or even a sick joke. It was real, and Lucy pinched herself on the off chance that it was all a nightmare. She saw the familiar glint in his eyes, the look of determination and anger that he usually reserved for enemies. At this point, Erza found her voice. She looked furious.

"Natsu, what do you think you're doing?!" she yelled at him; it was evident that she was angry that he had just hurt Lucy. Erza loved Lucy like a little sister, and she knew that Lucy's strength was not physical. Her strength lay in her heart of gold, and that inspired her spirits to be stronger than they appeared to be.

Just as she finished her sentence Natsu lunged at Lucy; he had ignored Erza completely, and the entire guild stood frozen in shock. Even Laxus and Master were staring, wide eyed and distraught. Lucy barely dodged his attack and tripped over a fallen chair. She whipped what she thought was Loke's key out as she was falling. Her eyes widened as she saw not one, but two keys in her hand: Loke's and the one she found in the bottom of the water fall. The black key. As she was falling, she saw the purple eye give a wink. She had almost forgotten about it. Lucy braced herself for a rough landing and clamped her eyes shut; however, she felt two arms catch her just in time. She opened her eyes as she was being pulled to her feet and saw a familiar tie against a white dress shirt. It was Loke. She gave him an appreciative look, and he smiled calmly at her.

"Why did you attack Lucy, Natsu?" Loke's eyes narrowed in rage as he asked his question.

"Because she is weak and so are you," came Natsu's answer. Loke froze for an instant in shock; partly because of what Natsu had said, and even more so because he had said it with his usual cheerful smile. He looked at the guild and saw that their eyes had become glassy. He recognized it as mass paralysis, but it was weak spell. Loke could see them struggling against it. Just as he was about to ask Natsu another question, he saw what Lucy had in her hand. He saw it glowing black and knew that she was about to summon the spirit. At that moment, a small moonlike orb appeared in front of Lucy, hung in the air for a split second, and then shattered into countless pieces. A young woman pushed her way out of the fragments, and bowed to Lucy.

She was a little shorter than Loke; she had long black hair with silver streaks in it and side bangs that hid her right eye. She almost looked human, however it was clear to Lucy and the rest of the guild that she was definitely not. Her uncovered eye was a deep shade of purple and had a snake-like slit for a pupil. This girl eyed Lucy for a nano-second before understanding the situation perfectly; she turned to Natsu. He froze. He knew that what was in front of him was dangerous. She was holding a massive sword in her right hand, and had jet black plate armor strapped to her body. Her armor was made of the same shiny obsidian material of her key. She promptly picked Natsu up by the shirt and threw him directly into Lisanna, knocking both of them over. She walked calmly over to both of them, leaning closely down to Natsu's face and said words to him that no one but he and Lisanna could hear. Then, with the same calm attitude, she walked over to Lucy.

"Hello Lucy, I'm terribly sorry about not greeting you first, however, Pinkie over there seemed… threatening," she smiled genuinely at Lucy, who simply gulped.

Suddenly there was a flurry of noise. The paralysis had broken when Natsu crashed into Lisanna, and the moment the shock wore off everyone had started yelling at Natsu; accusations such as "What the hell was that for?" and "I thought you were all about nakama; how could you attack Lucy like that?" flew about the room. A brawl had broken out in the guild, and almost everything was being destroyed. Laxus and Master stared wide eyed at Lucy and this girl, both knowing that they had witnessed something only a handful ever had. While they were bombarding Natsu with questions, Lucy took the time to turn to Loke and thank him and talk to her new "spirit" as well.

"So… umm… who… w-whats your name?" Lucy managed to sputter out as she guided the girl over to her and Levy's table. Loke stood protectively so that the current rage-infused brawl wouldn't harm Lucy.

The girl sat and stared at Lucy long and hard before answering. "I am Nanami, one of the three black keys."

Lucy paused for a moment, realizing that she needed to know everything about Nanami. So she asked as politely as she could, "Nanami, please tell me what kind of spirit you are and what kind of magic you use, as well as what days you're free to be summoned." This question made it clear to Nanami that Lucy though she was a Celestial Spirit.

The look on Nanami's face was a mixture between amusement and shock. With a sigh, Nanami began to explain who, and what, she was to Lucy.

"Lucy, I need to explain one very important thing." Lucy nodded for Nanami to go on as she ducked a mug that flew across the room; the guild was still clearly in complete and utter chaos.

"I am not a spirit, Lucy. I am half human, half demon." Lucy just looked at Nanami with her mouth slightly agape for a second before closing it just as abruptly. "Prove it," she said unexpectedly.

Nanami let out an uninhibited laugh and looked at Lucy as she pulled back the bangs covering her right eye. It was pure black; there was no pupil or iris. Nanami let her hair fall back over her black eye and studied Lucy with her deep purple one. Only two other people had ever found her Key in her entire existence, and both were terrified when they saw her eye. What took Nanami by surprise was that Lucy was not scared at all. She looked concerned, and Nanami was beginning to understand why Lucy was so loved by her spirits.

"So… Nanami, how do you travel between this world and… your world?" Lucy asked tentatively. She wasn't quite sure where Nanami lived, and did not want to anger her.

Before Nanami could answer, there was a loud shout. "Brats! Thats enough. Natsu, in my office. NOW." Lucy looked over to see Master glaring furiously at the boy, while Laxus looked at Lucy very curiously. Shaking her head, Lucy looked back at Nanami, who seemed to be amused by the goings on in the guild.

"Lucy, I do not travel between worlds. My key simply summons me to your exact location. You can send me back to where I came from with a simple forced gate closure. To answer your question about my magic, I am capable of hand to hand combat, I know how to use daggers and swords and the like. Being half demon allows me to use the magic of the night. Lucy, it is important for you to understand that my magic is limited. I may be half demon, but I am also half human. I have weaknesses, especially against light magic. Please keep this in mind when summoning me." Nanami finished, leaving Lucy sitting there with her mouth making an "O" shape. This made Nanami giggle, something she hadn't done in a very long time.

At this point, Lucy started rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers. It was a lot of information to take in at once; however, she was glad Nanami explained what she sure was only the top layer of her story. Loke had gone back into the spirit world during her conversation with Nanami, and Lucy felt vulnerable as she saw Natsu emerging from Master Makarov's office.

Nanami leaned in close to Lucy and told her not to worry. This seemed to sooth Lucy's nerves as she watched Natsu come closer; both women stood from their seats. Nanami put a protective hand on Lucy's shoulder. Any ideas Lucy might have had about any sort of romantic relationship with the boy were gone. The only feelings left were sadness, betrayal, and anger.

Natsu stood in front of Lucy, his eyes showing the same sincerity that they usually did. But before he had a chance to speak, she cut him off.

"What made you think it was okay to insult and attack me like that?" She glared at him.

He still stood there, completely stunned by her anger. Never before had she been this angry with him, and in his discomfort, he made the ultimate mistake.

"C'mon Luce, I was just joking; there's no need to take it so seriously." The moment the words left his mouth, the look on Lucy's face made it clear to him that he had just made the situation worse. He shifted his eyes away from her and looked towards a corner of the guild. Lucy saw that his eyes held sadness in them, but she followed his gaze to the corner of the guild. He was staring at Lisanna. This truly was the last straw for Lucy.

Without saying another word to him, Lucy brushed past him and made her way to the bar with Nanami following her. She needed another strawberry milkshake and to just think about what had just happened. She needed to figure out what to do with Nanami. She needed to pay her rent, and she seriously needed to stay away from Natsu. Mira came over to Lucy and gave her a big hug, whispering an apology and comforting words in her ear. It made Lucy smile to know that Mira cared about her. She ordered her favorite from Mira and turned to Nanami.

"Do you have a place to stay?" She asked her anxiously.

"You don't have to worry about that, Lucy. I live behind the waterfall where you found my key," she said. Noticing the slightly confused look on the blonde's face Nanami sighed and told the younger woman that she'd show her some time. It was at that moment that something occurred to Lucy.

"Are you in a guild? If you're not, would you like to join Fairy Tail?"

Lucy thought she had made her newest companion angry when she saw the line form between her eyebrows, but was relieved when Nanami spoke.

"I'd like to, but I don't know if your guild master is ok with my… ah… heritage."

Laxus, who was still on the upper floor, had been eavesdropping. He knew his grandfather would have no problem letting the other girl join. What was really getting to him was how Lucy had found her key, and how much power she was hiding to be able to summon her. He plopped down into a chair with a sigh and put his feet up on the table. What Natsu did was going to cause trouble in the guild, and he knew it. Laxus had never seen his grandfather so angry with the boy. He could still hear him grumbling about disrespectful behavior in his office. He sighed as he saw the two women make their way to the Master's office, knowing that the welcoming of a new member meant another party and more destruction.


	3. Chapter 3

*quietly sits in someone else's storage room and grows mushrooms* So this chapter was harder for me to write, and I am sorry for the delay. I have a feeling my next chapter will be easier to write. Also, a quick thank you to my reviewers, I really do appreciate it. I am also open to any ideas and if I use them I will give the idea giver credit.

I don't own anything but the OC.

It had been a long night, and Lucy just wanted to throw in the towel. Nanami had, of course, had a party to celebrate her joining the guild. The guild had partied for most of the day and long into the night. By the time the sun had set, the party had already worn on Lucy's nerves and her patience had been tried time and time again by the glares sent to her by Lisanna. It had confused Lucy the entire night, despite Lisanna's obvious attraction to Natsu, she and Lucy had become good friends. They remained good friends until a few days ago when Lisanna and Natsu had returned from a mission. Thats when things changed.

Thinking of these events caused Lucy to get up from her spot on the couch and pace around her room, anxiously running her hand through her hair. She was on the verge of tears for the umpteenth time since she had given up on sleep. She stubbornly bit back her tears and tried to continue her pacing. She suddenly stopped and felt her face with her delicate hands, feeling the salty moisture on her cheeks. Lucy felt her knees tremble and then collapse under her, and vaguely registered that Loke had showed up in a flash. Loke knelt down next to Lucy and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Princess…" Loke began timidly. Which earned him a half mumbled, half muffled groan from Lucy. He sighed quietly, and picked his princess up and brought her to the couch where he sat her up. Loke knelt down in front of Lucy and stared into her sad eyes and took in a deep breath before he spoke.

"Lucy. Tell me, who hurt you to make you cry like this? I don't mean Natsu," Loke paused to give Lucy a deep stare. "you and I both know that there is something deeper going on here. You are keeping something deep inside your heart and I can see it in your eyes." He finished his side of what he thought would be either a conversation in which Lucy became angry with him and used a forced gate closure on him, or in which she shut down completely. What he did not expect was for Lucy to tear up again, a look of pain lancing through her chocolate brown eyes. She quietly dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve, inhaled deeply and then exhaled softly.

"It began when Mamma died… My father became increasingly withdrawn and would not speak to me. We were very rich, so he didn't let me go to school with the other children. I was tutored by the best, and I was not permitted to make any mistakes. I still remember the first time I didn't get 100% correct on a certain assignment from my least favorite tutor." Lucy shuddered with the unpleasant memory that came to her, but she pushed on with her story to a wide eyed Loke. "I remember it clearly, my father bursting into the room. He was brandishing the report paper in his hands, and he was yelling about how I would be a failure if I couldn't write a proper 'e'. He said it looked too much like an 'i' and then he came over to me and slapped me across my face as hard as he could. This happened for my entire childhood, Loke. I was a daily fear of mine until I ran away."

Loke was angry, and Lucy could tell. He was shaking with rage, but his eyes held nothing but sadness for her. He understood now why she was a mess after Natsu had done earlier in the day, and he understood how much strength Lucy had to hold all of this in. She had kept up her appearance during Nanami's welcome brawl, he was sure, and had never shown her true feelings to her new companion. He sighed inwardly and then looked at her again, feeling through their connection just how vulnerable she felt.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry. I wish I could have protected you from your father, and from Natsu. Is there anything I can do?" Loke asked the last question, once again expecting Lucy to decline and say that she was fine and didn't need him to do anything. He was once again surprised by her answer, his eyes widening at her response.

"A lock, on your window? Why? I'm so confused…" Loke trailed off, eyebrows furrowed.

"Believe me, Loke, Natsu used to jump into my room through the window and crawl into my bed. It drove me mad and I want to sleep well tonight." Lucy sighed, and put her head in her hands and continued. "I don't want to have to worry about whether he'll try to come in and harm me while I'm sleeping. I no longer trust that boy." She finished, and began to massage her temples.

It was at this point that Loke was looking around Lucy's small apartment, noticing which areas needed to be locked up. His eyes swept across the room from her bedroom window and as his eyes made their way across the room, they landed on Lucy's keyring. He blinked, and when he looked at her keyring again, he was slightly perturbed at what he saw. He was now staring at Lucy's new key, and she had started to notice his silent stare-down with her hip.

"Loke, why are you staring at my hip?" Lucy demanded in a tone that suggested annoyance at the spirit's behavior. This question caught Loke's attention and he looked up at Lucy.

"Princess. I would like to speak to your newest key. I need to know something from you first. Has it ever seemed that the eye on the physical key could move or blink?" Lucy's eyes widened and a look of realization dawned on her face. She slowly nodded, eyes still wide, and pulled out Nanami's polished black key. Lucy stared at the key with slight unease and great curiosity. She then held the key tightly by the handle, and began to pull the magic that required summoning but faltered. She was unsure of the incantation to call out her newest acquaintance.

"I… umm… well… Nanami, come out please." Lucy said, unsure of whether her spirit would answer. She was pleased when Nanami's orb came into the room and shattered, summoning her in front of Lucy. Nanami's appearance caused Lucy to giggle, and Loke to stare. She was wearing a silvery nightgown that fell to her knees and lit up the room like a full moon. Her hair was slightly tangled, but her bangs still hid her black eye perfectly.

"Hello, Lucy. What can I do for you at this time of night?" She asked, while looking curiously at Loke. He looked at her over his blue glasses and almost glared at her. Before Lucy could respond, Loke had already begun to speak.

"Your key moves on its own. Why? Why does the eye move?" Loke questioned, giving Nanami a look of deep mistrust. Lucy simply looked at Loke, completely dumfounded at his behavior. Never before had she seen him so protective, however she did not like how he was questioning another one of her spirits. They were supposed to be allies or friends, and if they were not friends, they should be friendly enough to work together in battle. Loke did not see any of this in Nanami, and that troubled her. Lucy stood up quickly and cleared her throat.

"Loke, I would like to speak with Nanami. Please return to the spirit world." "But Princess." He tried to interject, but Lucy would have none of it. Loke sighed and shimmered out back to the spirit world.

"Nanami, I am deeply upset with Loke's behavior. However I would like to answers to the questions he asked, I know its getting late but I need to know more information. This is just so much for me to handle, and I've been on the edge of a nervous breakdown since this morning. I'm tired, angry, hurt, and so confused." Lucy felt tears prick the edge of her eyes again but pushed on. "I need to know everything, Nanami. How is it that I found your key, how is it that you came out to protect me from Natsu. How… everything that has happened so far. I need the whole story, no matter how long it takes to explain." Lucy finished her rant of confusion, and a feeling of relief swept over her. Lucy then looked at Nanami and offered her a seat on the couch, knowing it would probably be a long night of explanations.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi readers, I'm sorry for not updating. My well of inspiration was almost dry for a while. A quick thanks to my reviewers, I really do appreciate it.

Chapter 4

Lucy sat on her couch next to Nanami, who was about to explain _everything_ to her. She sipped her tea and decided she wanted to ask the same question that Loke had. Lucy set down her tea, and Nanami followed suit.

"I would like to know why the eye in your key moves, I'd like to know how you knew to come out when you did earlier when Natsu attacked me. I'd like to know why you're summoned with a small orb thing that shatters. I want to know what the incantation is to summon you." Lucy's eyebrows were pressed together, and she looked like she was focusing very hard on what to ask next. "Nanami, I know my celestial spirits return back to the spirit world when wounded, what happens to you? Is it possible for you to die?" The last questions Lucy asked almost made Nanami drop her cup of tea. She delicately set her cup down on the matching saucer and gave Lucy a look with one eyebrow raised. No one had asked her such simple, yet powerful questions.

"Lucy, has Loke ever opened his own gate when you were in deep trouble?" Lucy nodded silently. "That is because of his contract to you. He is able to feel your emotional or physical suffering. That is how they eye on my key works. It can see, and if I so choose to, I can use it to see as if it were my own eye. That being said, it is against our contract for me to spy on you." Nanami stopped for a moment to let this information sink in for Lucy. Nanami looked at Lucy with questioning eyes; Lucy nodded her head for Nanami to continue. "As for being summoned, all you need to do is call out my name and I'll be there. The small moon signifies my type of magic, it is silvery and dark. I am also more powerful at night, or when I am in shadow. To answer your final question so far, yes I can die. It takes me being fully human, and that is not something I ever do." Nanami finished her explanations for the questions Lucy had asked. She knew there would be more questions, especially because of the look on Lucy's face. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open in shock and in awe.

"So… So you… ok. I see." Lucy tried to drink from her empty cup of tea, found that it was empty, and set it back down on the matching saucer. "So… fully human? Does this imply that you can look less human than you do right now? What happens when you become less human?" Finished her round of questions rather agitatedly and tried to take another sip from her still empty cup. Remembering that her cup was empty, she put it back on the saucer and decided that rubbing the bridge of her delicate nose was the better course of action.

"Lucy, take a deep breath. I know this is over whelming to you, especially with today's events. Why don't I explain what I think are the vital bits of information to you?" Nanami looked at Lucy as she sighed heavily and nodded her head in consent. Seeing this, Nanami relaxed into the backrest of the Lucy's small sofa and began her story.

"I am a very unique individual, there are only two others that are half human-half demon like I am. I, unfortunately know nothing about one key. The other one is my older brother who I have not seen in a very long time. He's my polar opposite, and he uses sun magic." Nanami stops for a moment, rubbing her eye lids with her thumb and forefinger while mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "and he's a royal pain in the ass" before continuing on with her explanation. "No one has been able to contract both of us at the same time, due to the highly unusual requirements of our contracts. My brother works best with a partner who's nature is to be dark and less than kind. Someone who isn't pure and kind, like you. That is precisely how we came into a contract together. It is in my nature to be logical, and cold. It is your kindness and heart of gold that allows me to be summoned into this world. My brother is the exact opposite, and he therefore needs someone who isn't that to balance his powers." Nanami finished off explaining why she and Lucy had a contract. This left Lucy sitting on the couch with her mouth wide open. Nanami looked over at Lucy, gauging what she understood through her body language before continuing on with the explanation of her demon half. "I also can use different levels of my demonic powers, and yes I can look way less human than I do now. I prefer to use my Lunar Magic though, seeing as it is extraordinarily taxing on you for me to use my demon magic."

"I… ok. I understand. Without my instinct to care for others and protect those I love, you'd be uncaring and potentially harmful. Will you be able to use your other magic if I get stronger? I'd also like to know why and how you became a Key." Lucy asked, genuinely curious and not the least bit afraid.

Nanami yawned and began to answer. "Sure, but these are my last questions for the night. It's getting late, and I need to secure your apartment because Loke didn't. In short, Lucy thats exactly it. I cannot be contracted to my brother, who would balance my indifference to other's suffering. That is also why I became a Key, the Spirit King foresaw great chaos and destruct with our existence. So he turned us into Keys until a Celestial Mage came along that would compliment our instincts. Lucy, my demonic side is something I use as a last resort, but if you are truly curious I will give you a small taste of it when I feel you are ready." Nanami said, as she lifted her weight to her feet and stretched her shoulders. "I now need to go put a Lunar Lock on all entries to your apartment. Its a nifty spell I wrote, I'll teach it to you once we start training. The locks will break when you wake up so that you can leave your apartment."

Lucy, once again, gave her new companion a look of shock. She then stood up from the couch and retrieved the cups that once held tea. "Nanami… May I come and watch you cast the spell once I'm done putting the dishes in the sink?"

Nanami glanced over her shoulder at Lucy and answered in the affirmative while giving her a small smile. While Lucy quickly disposed of the dishes and began to hurry back to the bathroom, Nanami was inspecting the window. Lucy came in just as Nanami finished her examination of the window.

"Hi Lucy, come and watch this. I'll show you first and then I'll explain on your bedroom window." Nanami said as she focused a small amount of magic into her hand and onto the lock of her bathroom window. Lucy looked closely as a small planet came out of Nanami's hand and flew to the lock. It turned into what appeared to be a silvery fluid on contact and the substance seeped into the crack between the window and wall. Lucy watched this happen with a look of excitement on her face. Nanami's magic was beautiful, elegant, and she couldn't wait to see more. Nanami's movement towards the bathroom door brought Lucy out of her reverie. Lucy quickly followed and began to voice her thoughts on Nanami's magic. "That was beyond beautiful, I had no idea that Lunar Magic looked like that. I've actually only heard of it because of the ancient books I decode with my friend, Levy."

"You know Lucy, I think this is the first time any of my contractors have known about the existence of my magic. I'd be happy to teach you as much as you'd like. I'll start your training with teaching you the lock spell on your kitchen window." Nanami said, smiling slightly. She had never had a contract with someone as kind as Lucy, and she was beginning to feel the effects of her kindness with each passing minute. It would make explaining to Lucy the bond that would form between the two way easier. Most Celestial Mages thought of their spirits as tools at worst, and as comrades at best. What Nanami thought was that she'd have to break the news to Lucy, not the other way around. As they were making their way to the bedroom window, Lucy spoke up and said words that made Nanami stop in her tracks. "Nanami, I just wanted to let you know that I hope you and Loke can work out your differences. I don't like it when my family fights." Lucy then flashed one of her brilliant smiles and made her way to the window. _This girl is remarkable, no wonder her Lion spirit was so defensive of her. _ Nanami thought as she followed her into the room and to the next window.

Lucy listened carefully as Nanami began to explain the basics of the spell to her. "This is the weaker form of the spell, and in combat it is used to restrict movement. To properly use this on an inanimate object, imagine the light that a full moon casts on a valley at the height its time in the sky. This is the hardest step, you need to harness that light and pull it into your core, and after that you need to let the moonlight permeate the magic flowing to your hand. The next step is fairly easy, all you need to do is form the magic into a ball and gently send it towards the object." Nanami was an excellent teacher thus far, and Lucy watched closely to be sure she picked up every little detail she could. While she was explaining the steps, Nanami would show Lucy the steps with her magic. After that, Lucy's bedroom window was fully locked and it was time to move on to the kitchen window.

Lucy stood in front of her kitchen window with her eyes closed, imagining the silky white light that was effortlessly falling onto the landscape. She started to pull the light into her body, and felt the difficulty of the task. Lucy didn't stop, she was determined to complete this and sucked the last of the moonlight into her very being. Nanami was watching from the kitchen table with her chin resting delicately on her intertwined hands. She had an eyebrow raised and a very impressed look on her face. Nanami watched as Lucy formed a beautiful silver orb in her hand and saw her look of joy as she opened her eyes. Then she pushed the orb a little too enthusiastically at her kitchen window and saw the silver light-liquid splash into the space between the wall and the window. The look on her face was priceless, as Nanami burst into a light delicate laugh that quickly became a full on belly laugh that hurt.

"I think I may have over-done it." Lucy said in a dejected tone; disappointment etched into her face.

"Lucy, you did better than those who I've seen so much as attempt this spell for their first time. Not only that, but when you pulled the moonlight into your body, you pulled in enough to almost permanently infuse it into your body. Training you to use Lunar Magic will be way easier than I thought. The only issue is that you probably won't be able to open that window for a good few weeks." Nanami said, pride easily detectable in her voice, and a look of excitement barely visible on her covered face. "Go get some rest, I'll finish up blocking any entrance to your place. It's almost 2 am and I want to see if your guild has a place to train tomorrow." Lucy nodded and thanked Nanami before quickly slipping into some soft pjs and crashing onto her bed, falling asleep the second her body sunk into the deep mattress.

When Lucy woke the next morning, she groggily peeked at her bedside clock and saw that it was 7:30. It was later than she had hoped. She quickly rushed out of her bed and into the shower, remembering the events of last night. She relished her hot shower as she thought of what the day might bring, she was excited to see what Nanami would teach her. She shampooed her scalp and felt the warm water work its wonders on her tired body. As she was conditioning the rest of her silky hair, Lucy began to wonder what had gotten into Natsu for the first time since his violent episode towards her. She felt the salty moisture begin to pool in her brown orbs, but she held it back. She would not be undone by this, and she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he caused her to fear. Lucy finished her shower and wrapped herself into a soft pink bathrobe. She looked around her bathroom for a few minutes while she located her favorite face cream.

Lucy entered the guild in stretchy yoga shorts and a loose, light lavender cotton tee shirt. As soon as she entered she saw Mira look up and give her a sunny smile and wave.

"Good morning Mira, how are you this morning?" Lucy asks as she plops herself onto a bar stool. She smiled graciously at Mira as she set down Lucy's favorite smoothie.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. I am slightly worried though; I know yesterday was hard for you." Mira sighed at the look on Lucy's face. Her brows were furrowed and she looked slightly upset.

"I've honestly had better days, Mira. That being said, do you know what might've caused Natsu to go off on me like that?" Lucy sighed as she saw Mira sadly shake her head back in forth. Lucy thanked Mira for the smoothie as she was grabbing the Jewels to pay for it. As she was doing so she caught a glimpse of Nanami's key and remembered to ask Mira about the training arena. "Oh hey Mira, is anyone using the outdoor training area? Nanami and I were going to do some spell work."

Mira responded with a slightly surprised look on her face, it was the first time Lucy had asked. "Erza is in there right now, but she'll be done in 15 minutes or so. I can reserve the next hour for you if you'd like." After seeing Lucy nod her head, Mira smiled and turned to jot Lucy's name down on the board.

"Hey Mira," Lucy piped up. "Is it ok if I go watch Erza?" Mira turned back to Lucy, a little wide eyed.

"Lucy… yes just be careful, weapons have been known fly off-course when she's training. I've had a few close calls with Erza." Mira almost, _almost_ regretted telling Lucy about Erza's occasional stray weapon situations. She, however, couldn't help but giggle at the look on Lucy's face.

"I think I'll pass then, I'd rather not take any chances. I really don't want to be beheaded right before my first day of training." Lucy said while giggling slightly. Mira just smiled and looked to the person who was calling her for an order. Lucy took this time to call Nanami out, seeing as Erza would be done in a few minutes. She also thought this would be a good moment to experiment a little with summoning. She began to reach out with her magic and do the bare minimum. _Come out, Nanami_. This was a test to see if Lucy could summon her without doing anything but calling. No result. Lucy then gently placed her fingertips on Nanami's key and silently called out to her. To her surprise, Lucy saw the moon that meant Nanami's arrival plant itself on the stool next to her. Soon enough, Nanami was sitting at the bar next to Lucy. She was eyeing her with interest whilst yawning.

"Good morning, Nanami. Are you ready to train for an hour?" Lucy said kindly with a smile that made the room just a little bit brighter.

Nanami smirked a little bit, but gave Lucy an honest reply. "Of course I am. I'm very glad that you've called and are taking this seriously." Lucy's eyes twinkled with delight and was about to respond when she was distracted by the back door to the guild as it opened to reveal Erza coming into the room.

"Good morning Erza." Lucy said cheerfully as she waved her redheaded friend over.

"Ah Lucy! Good morning to you. Are you the person who is using the training grounds after me?" Erza said while smiling to both Lucy and Nanami.

Nanami responded while introducing herself to Erza; the two seemed to be getting along well as they began to discuss different types of weapons. Lucy, however, noticed that it was time for them to get into the arena, and departed with Nanami. Unbeknownst to all 3 women, their conversation had been overheard by a certain dragon slayer.

As Lucy an Nanami made their way to training, the former couldn't help but feel something on her back. Lucy looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching her, but saw no one. She brushed it off and followed Nanami to the training grounds to begin what would be a very tiring hour.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, a quick thanks to my readers and reviewers, I LOVE reviews. If anyone has any ideas, do PM me.

I don't own Fairy Tail. Nanami was my idea.

Chapter 5

Lucy was panting heavily as a bead of sweat dripped off her nose. She and Nanami had been training for about 40 minutes, and Lucy had become faster and more efficient at casting Colle De La Lune. It was harder than she had expected, and her magic levels were running a bit low. Lucy, however, would not give up using the spell until her hour was over. When Nanami had asked her if she wanted to end early or having a five minute break; Lucy had responded by furrowing her brows, shaking her head vigorously, and had kept on practicing.

The dragon slayer who was watching them almost smiled when he saw her response. He had to keep himself tucked in the shadows, which was not an easy feat considering his physique. He watched Lucy as she practiced her spell over and over until the magic seemed to glide almost effortlessly from her hands. He was impressed that she'd gotten so used to the spell so quickly in only an hour. He was startled out of his slight trance when Lucy and Nanami started talking and walking towards the exit. He sighed heavily, knowing that secretly watching Lucy would become part of his daily life until the whole Natsu situation had been worked out. He eyed the training grounds wearily, searching for any danger that may be lurking out of a normal human's sight. After one last visual sweep of the grounds, he set off after the two women back into the guild.

Lucy and Nanami were talking about Lucy's progress with her first spell, and which one she might learn next. More questions about Nanami's magic began to flood her mind and she began to walk mindlessly behind Nanami. Finally forming the questions in her head, Lucy stopped and looked up at Nanami's retreating back. Quickly realizing Nanami would soon be in the now loud guild, Lucy started to open her mouth to call to her to ask her to wait up. At that very moment, Nanami whipped around and looked Lucy dead in the eyes and said. "I know exactly which spell to teach you next." Lucy gave her a slightly perplexed look, but she just smiled at Lucy and walked into the guild.

The days went by in a blur, and before Lucy knew it, she and Nanami had been training for a week. Lucy had progressed in speed and accuracy with Colle De La Lune, and Nanami had taught her how to communicate telepathically with each of her spirits. This particular early morning was sunny, and Lucy was happily talking to Plue. She had found that her little spirit had helped her keep her mind off the changes in the guild. Not only had Natsu been giving her the evil eye, but Lisanna had been sauntering up to her asking when she'd quite the guild. This occurred multiple times a day, and Lucy was getting very tired of it.

As Lucy approached the guild hall, she gently brushed her fingers over Loke and Nanami's keys, telling them to be prepared for anything. Pushing the doors open with both her hands; Lucy was greeted by a smiling Mira, and a mostly empty guild hall.

"Good morning Lucy, the arena is ready for you whenever you want, no one has booked it for another few hours." Mira cheerful said while waving her over.

Lucy made her way to the bar and plopped down on a barstool while summoning Nanami. "Thanks Mira, can I have my usual with some protein powder added in?" Lucy then looked over to Nanami and asked her if she wanted anything. Nanami yawned and shook her head, still waking up. Mira placed Lucy's smoothie on the bar, and while Lucy thanked her, the guild doors opened and a few members came in.

"Lu-chan!" Was the first thing Lucy heard before feeling the arms of her best friend wrap around her torso. She looked down at her blue haired best friend and smiled. Throughout the whole ordeal with Natsu last week and the subtle changes in the guild, Levy had remained true to Lucy.

"Good morning Levy-chan!" Lucy greeted happily, while Nanami just lazily waved. "Would you like to see me train with Nanami today?" Lucy saw her friends eyes grow to the size of saucers, and a huge smile break out onto the smaller woman's face. Nanami, who had almost woken up completely, and had an idea.

"Hey Mira, has anyone taken the time after Lucy in the training area?" She asked, hoping that it would be free. Mira twirled around to face Nanami. She smiled and told her that arena was free for 2 hours. This made Nanami very happy, seeing as the only people Lucy could train against or with had been her spirits. Nanami turned to address Levy, unfortunately having to interrupt the two women's conversation about books.

"Levy, would you like to do a joint training session with Lucy and I? That way you two can spar a little, and you can get a chance to see the magic that I've been able to teach Lucy." Levy agreed instantly, but looked a little nervous as she signed her name up on the board during the time right after Lucy's. The three women started discussing magic and how Levy could improve her Solid Script and which books the guild's library held that might be of use to them.

The dragon slayer who had been watching Lucy train for the past week inwardly groaned. He'd have to spend twice as long today as he usually did watching the young blonde woman train. He got up from his table in a dark corner; the bench making a scraping sound against the worn wooden floor, causing Mira to look up and ask him if he wanted something. Laxus shook his head, and said something about having to deal with paperwork with the Master. At this point, Lucy had looked over and noticed that he looked grumpier than usual. She shook her head, and went back to talking to her two friends about spells and magic. Levy would play an integral part of Lucy learning this new spell. When the smaller woman looked slightly startled at the proposal, Nanami laughed and told Levy that no harm would come to her. They were too busy to notice the frustrated dragon slayer storm into his grandfather's office.

Laxus sat down in one of chairs the sat across from his grandfather's desk and unceremoniously put his feet up on the corner of the desk. His grandfather eyed him for a moment and then went back to doing his paper work. Knowing the question that his grandson was about to ask, he spoke before Laxus could verbalize his complaints.

"Yes, Laxus. You will watch both women for a full two hours, and please do not get caught. If they find out you've spied on them even once, their trust in you will shrink." Master Makarov said, not looking up from his paper work to see the look on Laxus' face. Laxus groaned in frustration and looked at his watch; he had 10 minutes before those 2 started training. He looked up from his watch and met his grandfather's eyes, and he saw that they held worry for the beloved celestial mage. Laxus decided to take the bait. "What is it, gramps?" He asked gruffly.

"There have been several reports of female mages going missing from major guilds, only to have them returned with completely different personalities. I received a message from Lamia Scale informing me that Sherry has been acting completely out of character since she returned from a mission some not too long ago. I fear that Lucy may be the next target, please keep close watch on her… even though I know you do anyway." Makarov added the last bit to tease his grandson. He was not blind, and could see his attraction to the younger blonde woman. Laxus stiffly stood from his seat, and made his way out of the office, mumbling something about meddling family and how his gramps should mind his own damn business. This only made Master Makarov smile pervertedly.

Laxus quietly made his way to the arena without being noticed by the three young women and found an adequate hiding spot. He hating hiding like some criminal, it made him feel guilty of something. A small voice in the back of his head starting berating him. _You are guilty, how could you watch her day after day and deny your feelings? _Laxus growled at that little voice; he knew exactly what is was, and he planned to ignore it every time it decided to bother him. He remembered his grandfather informing him about the dragon's voice that he would hear in his head from time to time. He pinched the bridge of his nose and concentrated on his surroundings, making sure that the 3 women who had just entered the area were safe.

Lucy, Levy and Nanami had just entered the training area. Nanami was describing the game to the two younger women, the rules and area in which they'd be playing. This particular part of the arena had outcroppings of rocks and bushes in between. There were plenty of great hiding places for Levy. She was still apprehensive about Lucy finding her with a spell, however Lucy gave her a hug and wished her luck. Lucy then whipped around and looked to Nanami for instructions on how to cast the spell.

"The first thing you need to do is gather as much lunar light from your field as you can. Once again draw it into your body, allowing it to penetrate your very core. Once you have completed that, push it through your body and to your feet, at this point, it should ripple out and travel across the ground." Lucy watched very carefully as Nanami demonstrated, and was quite excited to see a small ripple of liquid moonlight ripple around her feet, as if she were standing on a lake filled with the substance. "This is what it should look like. Once you get really good at it you can control how far it goes, who it detects. When you've completely mastered it, you can even add Colle De La Lune in and snare enemies while detecting them." Nanami finished off explaining the newest spell, as she watched Lucy's own small but significant ripples around her feet. Seeing that Lucy was ready to play, she yelled out to Levy to prepare herself, because Lucy was going to come find her.

The game had been going on for about 45 minutes, and all three women were giggling at the funny things that had happened. At one point Lucy had successfully casted the spell while tripping, and had found Levy. Not because of the spell, Lucy had fallen into the bush that had been temporarily hiding Levy. This had caused the fourth and hidden person to smile softly, immediately followed by a glower of disapproval to adorn his face. He heard that voice bubbling up from deep inside his core. _You know, if you stopped denying how you felt, you might actually have a chance. _At this he just sighed, and continued secretly keeping watch, but the voice wouldn't let up. _You know what she is, and what would happen if you allowed yourself to travel down that road. _By now, Laxus had completely lost all focus on his surroundings and was busy trying to shut up that pesky inner dragon. It was only until he felt a surge of magic near him that he looked around just in time to see a mass of silver fluid flying towards him. He tried to slip away, but it was too late.

He sat there against a tree, almost entirely immobilized with a very beautiful blonde woman towering above him. She looked beyond livid. Besides her was an anxious looking Levy, and a highly amused spirit.


End file.
